Printing machine



Oct. 11, 1966 T. w. OLSEN 3,277,816

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug 24, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l //VI/N7'0/?. FIG. 9 ThomosWOlsen Sparrow and Sparrow ATTORNEYS.

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4 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1964 INVENTOR. Thomas W.Olsen byv Sparrow and Spovrow ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 11, 1966 T. w. OLSEN PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 24, 1964 I/Vl/E/VTOR. Thomas W.Olsen Sporrow and Sparrow ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 11, 1966 T. w. OLSEN PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ThomuswOlsen Sparrow and Sparrow ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,277,816 PRINTlNG MACHINE Thomas W. Olsen, Wayne, N.I., assignor to Modern Decorating Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,624 Claims. (Cl. 10138) This invention relates to printing machines, and particularly to machines for printing indicia, such as, for example, symbols, legends, advertising matter, names and addresses, directions for use, etc., on articles of cylindrical or tubular shape, such as bottles or the like .articles, using the screen printing process.

Machines for performing printing operations on articles of a cylindrical or tubular shape are known, but most of these machines are adapted for printing on the outer surface of collapsible tubular articles, such as tubes for the cosmetic industry and the like light items which must be supported by mandrels. Furthermore, articles of this kind usually have a uniform diameter extending its length and are open on one end so that they can be stripped over the supporting mandrel.

By a machine, according to the present invention, printing of indicia, particularly in at least two colors, is performed on such articles of cylindrical or tubular shape which are self-supporting and which do not require any internal support. The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combinations of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter, and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the inst-rumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for printing indicia in at least two different colors on articles having a cylindrical or tubular shape.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an instrumentality for printing indicia on bottles or the like articles by the screen printing process.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a printing machine for printing at least two colors in perfect color register on articles of cylindrical or tubular shape.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing machine for printing indicia on hollow articles of cylindrical shape without necessitating internal support means for such hollow articles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a printing machine for printing indicia on articles of a cylindrical or tubular shape, which is easy and convenient to operate.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective illustration of the principle of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine showing the main operating parts thereof in a simplified form;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the printing frame support;

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FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the chain drive of the printing frame;

FIG. 6 is a detail view, taken in perspective, of the operating mechanism of the machine in the loading position;

FIG. 7 is .a detail view, taken in perspective, of the operating mechanism shown in FIG. 6, during the first phase of the printing operation;

FIG. 8 is a detail view, taken in perspective, of the operating mechanism shown in FIG. 6, during the second phase of the printing operation; and

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the drive of the chucking device for the article to be printed.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 the principal mechanism of the machine of the invention, showing side supports or side frames 11 and '12 of the machine. A screen printer designated by the general numeral 100, a squeegee or like mechanism generally designated by the numeral 200, and mechanism holding the article to be printed, generally indicated by the numeral 300.

The screen printer comprises a printing frame 101 having a bottom plate 102 in which two openings 103 and 104 are arranged. The two openings 103 and 104 are each covered by a silk, nylon or other suitable screen 103', 104' in conventionally-known manner in screen printing process. Printing frame 101 of screen printer 100 has a rear bar 105 which is glidingly supported by two shafts 106 and 107 which are firmly attached to side supports 11 and 12. Rollers 108 and 108, which are mounted on rear bar 105, are arranged for rolling on shaft 107. Thus, the printing frame 101 is adequately supported and can be moved without undue friction.

Screen printer 100 is moved sideways between the side supports 11 and 12 by a chain 110 which is operated by a double-acting air cylinder 111. Chain 110 is attached to rear bar 105 and to air cylinder 111 and is guided over sprockets 112, 113, thus forming a closed drive loop.

Within openings 103, 104 of bottom plate 102 of printing frame 101 are contacting or pressure means, such as, squeegee heads 203, 204 in such manner located that they may be alternately brought into and out of contact with the screens in openings 103, 104. Heads 203, 204 are mounted on arms 205, 206 which are mounted in brackets 207, 208 which in turn are fastened to shafts 209, 210, respectively. Shafts 209, 210 are rotatably held in bearings 211, 212 attached to frames 11, 12. Lever arms 213, 214 are fastened to shafts 209, 210 respectively, which are operatively connected with fluid power cylinders 215, 21 6 by means of connecting rods 217, 218 respectively. Squeegee heads 203, 204 thus are brought alternately in contact with the screens in openings 103, 104 by means of the fluid power cylinders 215, 216 respectively. Setscrews 219, 220, with securing nuts 221, 222, are arranged on levers 213, 214 for limiting the movement of same so that the proper amount of pressure of heads 203, 204 on the screens in openings 103, 104 may be adjusted.

Below printing frame 101 and in proper relationship to openings 103, 104 there in is a workpiece-holding device bearing the general numeral 300. There is a support frame structure having two arms 301, 302, which is pivotally mounted (not visible in the drawings) and which can be swung upwardly and downwardly. Two shafts 303, 304 are arranged for joining the upper parts of the arms 301, 302 and for supporting a bracket plate 305 which can be glidingly moved sideways on shafts 303, 304 by a fluid power motor (not shown in the drawings). Mounted on the opposite ends of bracket plate 305 are supports 306, 307. On support 306 is mounted a fluid power cylinder 308, having a rotatable head 309 on its shaft 310. Supports 306, 307, cylinder 308 and head 309 form a chucking or locking device for the cylindrical or tubular articles to be printed. On the other support 307 is a rotatable end holder 311. Between the head of power cylinder 308 and rotatable end holder 311 a cylindrical or tubular article, such as, for example, a bottle 312, can be clamped so that this article may rotate about its own longitudinal axis. End holder 311 is fixed to a splined shaft 320, which in turn has a gear 321 (of the same diameter as the bottle) fitted to splined shaft 320. Gear 321 is then meshed with gear rack 322 which is pivotally mounted on frame 101 and moves with it, driving the bottle at the same circumferential speed as screen printing frame 101, thus providing registration of the color printing. Side supports 313, 314, 315, 316 (partly visible in the drawing) are adjustably located on cross braces 317, 318. Rollers 319 are mounted on the upper ends of side supports 313, 314, 315, 316 for supporting the bottle 312 and for setting it in the correct position with respect to the chucking device composed of the fluid power cylinder 308 and the rotatable head 309. Another fluid power cylinder 323 is provided on shaft 304 for moving the workpiece 312 with its clamping device sideways so that workpiece 312 may engage successively printing openings 103, 104.

The printing machine operates as follows. Screens 103' and 106 preferably made of nylon, silk or other suitable material, and bearing the indicia or other matter to the printed on bottle 312, are positioned in openings 103, 104 of printing frame 101, and are inked with appropriately colored heated printing inks in suitable manner. Workpiece-holding device 300 is lowered by suitable mechanical means (not shown), and the cylindrical or tubular article, such as bottle 312, is clamped between the rotatable heads 309 and 311 by fluid power cylinder 308. Printing frame 101 is moved by chain 110 actuated by hydraulic cylinder 111 into the left position (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3), arms 301,302 are swung upwardly by suitable mechanical means (not shown) so that bottle 312 is positioned under the screen in opening 103. Squeegee 'head 203 is lowered by fluid power cylinder 215 so that is presses the inked screen firmly against the surface of bottle 312. The printing process then is performed by moving printing frame 101 to the right side (FIGS. 2 and 3) by chain 110 whereby the inked screen 103' is run over bottle 312 under the pressure of squeegee head 203. Bottle 312 is, at the same time, rotated in precise register wit-h printing frame 101 by rack 322 and gear 323. At the end of the stroke of printing frame 101, squeegee MM 203 is lifted off the screen by hydraulic cylinder 215, workpiece-holding device 300 is lowered and bracket plate 305 with the clamped bottle 312 thereon is shifted on shafts 303, 304 so that bottle 312 precisely is registered in place beneath the screen 104' of opening 104. During this operation, the heated ink has suflicient time to dry and harden. Arms 301, 302 are now lifted again, squeegee head 204 is lowered by its fluid power cylinder 216 and frame 101 is moved back to the starting position on the left side (FIGS. 2 and 3), thus performing the second printing operation. Thereafter, squeegee head 204 is lifted, arms 301, 302 of workpiece-holding device 300 are lowered, bracket plate 305 returned, the chucking device (306, 307, 308, 309) operated by fluid power motor 308 is released and the printed bottle 312 is withdrawn. With reloading of the chucking device, a new operating cycle can be started.

It is obvious that a perfect color printing register on bottle 312 thus can be obtained because of the accurate, mechanically determined positioning of the interrelated elements for achieving the desired result.

By providing more than two printing screens in corresponding openings in frame 101, and by modifying the shifting stroke of the aforementioned chucking device,

more than two colors may be printed on the bottle or other cylindrical or tubular article in predetermined registration.

While the invention hasv been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. A machine for printing indicia on an article having a body portion of substantially cylindrical or tubular shape, said article having a longitudinal axis, comprising: screen printing means having at least two adjacently arranged printing screens, first and second, respectively, means for applying ink to each one of said screens, means disposed below said screens for locking said article in position along said axis and for rotatably holding said article against said screens, respectively, means for reciprocatingly shifting said screens in unison in a direction transverse to said axis, power driven means for shifting said means for locking said article and said article in the direction of said axis from a first position below said first screen to a second position below said second screen.

2. A machine for printing indicia on an article having a body portion of substantially cylindrical or tubular shape, said body having a longitudinal axis, comprising spaced supports, a screen printing frame having at least two printing screen sections, first and second, respectively, means for releasably locking said article in a horizontal position along said axis below said frame, means for moving said frame between said supports in a direction transverse to said axis, squeegee means disposed over said screen sections, means for moving said squeegee means into and out of enagagement with said screen sections, means for rotating said locking means, means for raising and lowering said locking means whereby said article when engaged by said locking means may be brought alternately towards and away from said screen sections, respectively, and means for shifting said locking means and said article axially in a direction substantially transverse to the movement of said frame for positioning said body portion of said article below said screen sections in successive order for the printing operation.

3. A machine according to claim 2, and said locking means having roller means for supporting said article, said roller means *having adjustable arms for accommodating similar articles having various diameters.

4. A machine according to claim 2, and said means for rotating said locking means comprising gear means connected to said locking means, and a rack pivotally mounted on said frame, said rack being in engagement with said gear on said locking means.

5. A machine according to claim 2, and said means for rotating said locking means comprising a gear connected to said locking means, said gear being substantially of the same diameter as said body portion of said article, and a rock pivotally mounted on said frame, said rack being in engagement with said gear on said locking means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,818 10/1938 Cone 10l115 2,153,435 4/1939 Schneider et a1. 101115 2,866,403 12/1958 Zimmermann et a1. 10138 X 3,109,365 11/1963 Karlyn 101-124 3,190,463 6/1965 Cohan 101-38 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MACHINE FOR PRINTING INDICIA ON AN ARTICLE HAVING A BODY PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OR TUBULAR SHAPE, SAID ARTICLE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, COMPRISING: SCREEN PRINTING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST TWO ADJACENTLY ARRANGED PRINTING SCREENS, FIRST AND SECOND, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS FOR APPLYING INK TO EACH ONE OF SAID SCREENS, MEANS DISPOSED BELOW SAID SCREENS FOR LOOKING SAID ARTICLE IN POSITION ALONG SAID AXIS AND FOR ROTATABLY HOLDING SAID ARTICLE AGAINST SAID SCREENS, RESPECTIVELY MEANS FOR RECIPROCATINGLY SHIFTING SAID SCREENS IN UNISON IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID AXIS, POWER DRIVEN MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID ARTICLE AND SAID ARTICLE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS FROM A FIRST POSITION BELOW SAID FIRST SCREEN TO A SECOND POSITION BELOW SAID SECOND SCREEN. 